Packaging apparatus for packing perishable foods in ice



Feb; 12, 1957 v, WEINGART 2,781,066

PACKAGING APPARATUS FbR PACKING PERISHABLE FOODS m ICE Filed Oct. :50, 1955' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm 2 -U---H. .H .M-H a 3 ....!.......J hula NN .N. u 8 t s h s on 6m 2.

ATTORNEYS V. R. WEINGART Feb. 12, 1957 PACKAGING APPARATUS FOR PACKING PERISHABLE FOODS ICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 30, 1953 mm NOE VERNON R.WEINGART I BYTFAY & FAY

ATTORNEYS 'ilnited States Patent 2,781,066 PAfIKAGING APPARATUS FOR PACKING PERISHABLE FOODS IN ICE Vernon R. Weingart, Mantua, Ohio Application Qctoher 30, 1953, Serial No. 389,270 5 Claims. (Cl. 141-317) This application relates, as indicated, to a packaging method and apparatus for packing perishable foods in ice. It is particularly directed to a prepackaging method for packaging sweet corn, particularly, in ice to preserve the flavor therein and to prevent the conversion of the sugars in the sweet corn to starches before reaching the consumer. The apparatus is also directed to a packer which will permit bags to be filled and ice to be mixed in with the perishable food, such as sweet corn, without actually clogging since crushed ice in a hot summer month will be inclined to stick together and is very hard to package in mechanized conveyors or handling means.

This invention is particularly directed to a method and apparatus for packaging perishable foods in ice, and this problem has arisen because of the time lag between the time the sweet corn is picked and the time it goes through the wholesaler and retailer to the consumer. Since there is considerable sugar in the sweet corn kernel, this may be converted into starches if the temperature of the corn is kept from 70 to 90 particularly. However, if the corn is immediately iced down to 50 it will be in substantially perfect condition within a period of 24 to 48 hours, and if it is kept at lower temperatures it may be useable upwards of a week.

However, the method and apparatus for performing this packaging operation is indeed ditficult because crushed ice sticks together and is very difiicult to flow in conveyors or chutes at high temperatures. Under ideal conditions, of course, refrigerated or air-conditioned rooms could be used, but since these are almost universally unavailable in isolated locations where the packaging operation must take place, this is an impractical solution. Consequently an apparatus which will permit the bag to be held in a position so that sweet corn may be placed therein and also so that ice may be placed in the bag at regular intervals mixed in with the sweet corn has been found to be diflicult. This apparatus is designed to accomplish that end.

The apparatus basically consists of a framing member and means pivoted in a vertical plane and rotating in a horizontal plane to grab the bag against the framing members, together with means placed at one side of the bag for holding a bottomless compartment of ice, compartmented front to rear, in order that corn may be placed at intervals in the bag and the bottomless compartment may be pulled over the mouth of the bag to dispense ice therein. This basic invention may be modified in various ways to increase the production of the unit, and the first of these ways would be to make the compartment longer and have it double ended and have the bag supporting means on each side of a framing member so that the bags could be rotated or filled in one or two positions, as the case may be. It is further possible to put a plurality of these bagging units and ice dispensing means around a pivotal unit whereby the bags can be filled in one position and then iced, and subsequently taken off the pedestal mount.

An object of this invention is to produce a method and apparatus for prepackaging perishable foods in crushed ice.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for prepackaging perishable foods in ice and disposing crushed ice in a bottomless container to one side of the open mouth of the bag.

A further object of this invention is to produce a high production packaging apparatus and method for pre packaging perishable foods in crushed ice.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail one approved method of carrying out the invention, such disclosed method, however, constituting but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front view of the apparatus,

Fig. 2 is a top view of the ice compartments, and

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. 2, showing a bag in position for filling.

This invention consists of a pedestal supporting mount shown generally at 10, having a central supporting leg 11 and a plurality of radially disposed supporting legs 12, 13 and 14. These supporting legs are connected to a triangular or quadrangular base frame member. On the top of said pedestal is a rotary pivot point 17 having means for positioning the top frame member 18 in a set position, said top frame member being disposed in opposite directions 19 and 2t) and having a horizontal frame support 21 and 22 adapted to hold a quantity of ice in compartmented trays 23 and 24 respectively. These compartmented trays are oppositely disposed, but it may be seen that perhaps more than four positions may be used in a single pedestal mount prepackaging apparatus. To each side of the pedestal are two positions. Each position has a support means slightly raised relative to the bag. This is also known as a quadrangular framing member. Attached to and beneath said base framing member is a horizontally disposed toggle-acting grabbing means shown generally at 25 for the bag or sack. This toggle action means is pivoted vertically at 26 and 27 and has a pair of symmetrically disposed arms 28 and 29 attached to these pivots on either side of the rectangular framing member 21. At 30 and 31 of the grabbing means there are rubber supports or bumpers which grab the bag between there and the bag supporting means 32. The central pivot point for the toggle linkage is shown at 34. Spring means 35 is connected between the toggle arm 36 and the handle toggle arm 37. The opposite end of the toggle handle arm is connected to a vertical handle 38. Pressure on the handle forces the central toggle pivot against a stop member. The handle forces the toggle arms past center and they are held in this position, forcing the arms 28 and 29, pivoted around points 26 and 27 so that the rubber grippers 30 and 31 support the bag against the bag supporting means 32. This means permits the bag to be held open without obstructing the mouth of the bag in any way. it also leaves the portion immediately above and to the rear of the bag free in order that ice, crushed ice that is, may be disposed above the open mouth of the bag and periodically pulled over the mouth to drop crushed ice into and around the perishable food.

This apparatus does not hinder feeding the perishable food into the mouth of the bag since the means for dispensing the ice is to one side and only operates intermittently as will subsequently be described. The ice feeding means consists of a rectangular compartment 39 having an open top 4i) and a pair of drawers 41 and 42 faced in opposite directions and disposed within the compartment. Support means at 43 hold the opposite sides of the compartment together. Said drawers are compartmented front to rear at 44 and 45 and each drawer has a handle 46 and 47. Each drawer is compartmented front to rear as described to allow ice to pass through. The edge of the ice compartment is positioned approximately at the edge of the bag when held in the bag retaining means. This is necessitated because corn and other perishable foods must be iced on the way to the market through the wholesale and retail channels.

In connection with sweet corn it is particularly desirable to reduce the temperature to below 40 or 50 P. so that the sugars in the sweet corn will not change to starch on their way to market and so that the flavor will be retained in the corn. There is also the problem that in warm rooms on the farm and in other packing centers the temperature may be upwards of 70 to 90 F. or even higher, and crushed ice will be inclined to stick together and is very difficult to feed in any normal conveying means. Consequently, this ice compartment previously described has an open bottom shown at 48, through which the ice may pass after it is brought over the open mouth of the bag.

After a quantity of perishable food is placed in the bag the bottomless compartmented drawer is pulled over the ice compartment and in case the sides of the compartment stick, a slight vibration or joggling action will cause the ice to drop out of the compartment. The sides in many cases become frosted and a layer of ice will slightly reduce the capacity of the ice compartment, but this is less important than to have the ice feed through the compartment into the bag. Other constructions, conveyors and chutes have such a tendency to clogthat this has been found to be the only feasible Way of providing ice into a pre-package in the manner indicated without obstructing the packaging of the perishable food into the bag. Other. complicated structures for ice feeding could be devised, but they would, in most cases, be over the mouth of the bag and obstruct the delivery of the perishable food into the mouth of the bag. It is for this reason that this construction is particularly desirableand eflective to accomplish the end indicated.

Operation In the operation of this prepacking method and apparatus for perishable foods, particularly sweet corn, a conveyor means is frequently'employed to distribute the perishable food to a plurality of loading stations. These stations may be oppositely disposed, as in this apparatus, having means for holding the bag as previously described, including a single compartment with a double ended drawer oppositely faced for the ice.

The loaders or packers take the perishable food off the conveyor and feed it into the open mouth bag held in position. When part of the bag is filled, the drawer is partially pulled out, at least to the end of the first compartment, since the drawer is compartmented front to rear with partitions extending from side to side. Ice falls into the container even in veryhot weather, part of the ice having melted will stick to adjacent particles of crushed ice, but slight vibration on the handle will cause the ice to fall out of the bottomless compartment into the bag. The drawer is then replaced into the ice compartment and the packing operation continues until the requisite amount of perishable food is placed therein. Then the other part of the ice compartment is held over the bag and a second portion of ice in the rear of the drawer falls into the bag. When both loading stations have completed their prepackaging operation, the pedestal mount is rotated and the loaded bags are swung to the opposite end Where subsequent operations of removing the bags and putting on a new compartment of ice and putting on an empty bag in the bag holding means take place. This operation can be repeated, and for sweet corn packing over a thousand dozen ears of corn in units of four dozen cars per prepackage have been prepared per hour by this method and apparatus.

Conveyor means may be used to feed ice to the packaging or bagging operation and other conveyor means may be used to carry the filled bags of perishable food away from the packaging operation. It is almost certain that conveyor means will be used to distribute the perishable food to the loadingstations for feeding it to the bags, but the others are, of course, optional and necessi- 4 tated only by the manpower supply and by the rate of operation.

I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth in the preferred manner of carrying out my invention as it is apparent that many changes and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for packaging perishable foods in ice which consists of framing members for supporting a bag in a vertical position, mouth open, means pivoted in the horizontal plane for gripping and supporting said bag against the framing members, means above the level of the framing members and to one side thereof comprisin g at least a single bottomless compartment and support 7 means therefor adapted to be brought over the mouth of the bag, the bottomless compartment being generally smaller than the open mouth of the bag.

2. An apparatus for packaging which consists offraming members having at least a pair of side support members adapted to hold a bag, gripping members adapted to co-operate with said side support members, said gripping members being pivoted in the horizontal plane and extending at the level of the side support members, filling means placed to one side of the framing members comprising at least one bottomless compartment, and support means therefor, said compartment being no larger than the open mouth of the bag. 9

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the width of the compartment is no wider than the distance between the side framing members.

4. An apparatus for packaging material in bags which comprises at least a pair of side framing members adapted to hold a bag in a vertical position, support means for said bag comprising a pair of horizontally disposed arms, and gripping members adapted to contact said side framing members and actuating means for said arms from one side of the framing members whereby a grip is obtained upon the bag against the side framing members with a single operation of the actuating means, means disposed to one side and above the level of the framing members comprising at least one bottomless compartment and support means therefor, said compartment having a general bottom area no greater than the open mouth of the bag, whereby said compartment is adapted to be brought over the mouth of the bag to deposit material in the bag.

5. An apparatus for packaging materials in bags which consists of framing members adapted :to support a bag, means contacting said framing members to support the bag against the framing members, said means being pivoted in a horizontal plane and away from the immediate vicinity of the open mouth of the bag, filling means above the framing members and to one side thereof comprising an open top support means with a bottomless drawer thereon, compartmented front to rear, said compartment lower area of said bottomless compartment not being greater than the open mouth of the bag, and means for causing said bottomless compartment to be brought over the open mouth of the bag;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS i r is 

